'The Smiler' - the new GBP18 million roller coaster due to open at Alton Towers.   See NTI story NTISMILER.  These are the hilarious facial expressions of the first thrill-seekers to try out Britain's newest roller-coaster - which includes a record breaking FOURTEEN LOOPS.   The stomach-churning ride - called 'The Smiler' - hits speeds of up to 53mph and will open to the public at Alton Towers on May 23.  But technicians at the theme park were given a sneak preview on Monday (13) and became the first to test the 18 million mega ride.  Using a video camera attached to a helmet, designers used  facial recognition technology to identify what emotions the rider goes through whilst on the coaster.  The footage has then been run through a complex set of algorithms which track subtle changes in muscle group activation on the rider's face. The final video features the rider's face overlaid with a graphical representation showing fluctuations in the mixture emotions they were experiencing at different points on the ride.
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